whinewine

Springfield carries some inserts in black. whether or not they're exactly what you're looking for, I don't know, but call them anyway & ask (Don't use the website- it's cumbersome & besides, you need to ask your questions to a live person, NOT a stupid computer.) Their # is 800-668-8518. Another alternative is to get one you like in brown, cut it apart & make your own in black something or other (mission pig, or a heavier type of lining leather??? whatever...)

Dan: you can use old file folders or light, very flexible cardboard or even stiff brown wrapping paper, if you need to fold it around something. If you need to make a holster, for instance, a file folder wraps around the holster fairly nicely, whereas wrapping paper might not have enough body. Depends on what you want to make patterns of. Once you have your pattern done to your satisfaction, you may want to transfer that pattern to some sort of heavier material for durability, especially if you're going to do a lot of the same...

Art, it looks like a good deal. It is a very different model than the encore 2. What is important is the rigidity of the upper structure... I've seen pop-ups that have collapsed under a wind (specifically, a side-shear of wind). If this has a strong, rigid superstructure, then it's OK, if not, I'd be a bit leery (leary??). Do a comparison of all ezup's models on their website & make the comparison. If you have unanswered questions, use their toll-free numbers (or customer service email) & ask them what you need to find out. russ

Serena: we have the same encore 2. Try http://samsclub.com. I don't know what their current price is, but I believe we got ours for about $199+ tax 2 years ago. It's a great tent with a 2 year warranty on it. I just had one half of a zipper go bad, so they gave me 4 new sidewalls. A problem is that many renfaires won't allow an ezup in, because it isn't "authentic", whereas a PP is. Some faires will let in the ezup, IF it is disguised properly... The encore 2 is a good starter tent if the faire will let you in. russ

Very nice, singteck! I like the concept & the execution! Keep it up. russ

Terry, without being negative, I would tend to stay away from something like this. Considering a quality airbrush will cost substantially more than $5.99 on sale, I would say this is probably like throwing $6 out the window. Try it- if it's crap, keep the receipt & take it back. I've purchased several of their airbrush bottle kits & returned all of them. The fittings are NOT compatible with standard airbrush fittings & connectors, but I have not bought any of their airbrushes, so I can't really comment totally about them. I would suspect that the quality is the same, however. Just my $0.02 worth, IMHO. You can register on line at AC Moore or Michaels & use the 40% (& occcasionally 50%) coupons that they send out to your email address every week or so & purchase a DECENT airbrush. I have an Iwata. It's nice, it's dependable, it's double action & it's not crap. Suggestion: do a google search for reviews of airbrushes. Guaranteed, harbor freight won't be listed, but Iwata & Badger (among others) will.

The problem with this is that you need to convert it to ounces (i.e, 64ths= 1 ounce), although it does have the advantage of going deeper into the hide. I got mine through tandy & it's just fine for what I need (quick ounce measurement...) They're not too common as people don't want to spend $40+ on this item. Google around & you may find some sites that have this at a good price. Others have gotten digital stuff at harbor freight, but, again, you've gotta convert ... I don't want to screw around & do the extra math, so it's worth what I paid...

If he's overseas, the shipping, plus any applicable duties on them might (or, might not), be prohibitive. It all depends on the particular country & what they look at to slap a duty on, plus various taxes that we usa-ers don't have, such as a VAT (value added tax). For an example, coffee is/was (as it was in 1988, anyway) taxed with import duties before it could be brought into Canada. Other countries have similar weird taxes on things that we take for granted & that we do not tax coming into our country...

Rogue: tandy used to have a pattern pack for leather halter tops, back in the '70s. There might be some floating around ebay. russ

I just came across a source for some thread... 8 oz (1/2 lb) spools of "SUNGUARD" Anti-Wick UVR Bonded Polyester, size F (comparable to T-90) for $12/spool. They have white & a shark grey color. If anyone is interested, I would get some spools & send out for $12 + shipping (for as long as the supply lasts). It's a closeout deal & may be gone soon. I don't even know if this is a good deal???, but I picked up a spool of white. I mostly use 277 & 69 thread

Thank you, Keith, but Michael Sheldon is already sending me some. Thanks for the offer, though. It is appreciated. I only need no more than a dozen & a half. russ

Y'know, when I go to Staples to have something xeroxed so I don't have to hand trace, or (worse), cut up the article out of the magazine to glue onto cardboard, I end up fighting with the morons they hire who insist that: "because-it-is-copyrighted,-I-cannot-legally-copy-it-for-you..." I try to explain, that even though it is copyrighted, it was copyrighted for the express purpose of making copies for leathercrafters to copy so they can make copies to copy... I then propose this question: "if I own the copyright to a particular article because I sold that particular article to that particular magazine & I sold it to them with me retaining all rights except first North American Serial Rights ((and yes, btw, I have sold numerous articles to various publications, among them, Make It With Leather)), why can I not copy this article as I so choose?"... and the morons can only reply [because this is beyond their ken of understanding]...'because the magazine is copyrighted'...

I'm looking for a source for the screws that screw on to the screwback conchos... they are the ones with the flat, wide heads, NOT the ones with the tiny heads that turn screwback conchos into line 24 snaps. I purchased several packets of tandy's discontinued leather-insert conchos & many of the screws are missing. I only need a dozen, maybe a dozen & a half, at the most, so I don't need a source with a large quantity minimum and/or a large shipping charge. Is the thread 8-32 or 8-24 or is it some weird thread found only in Tandylonia? Thanks for any help on this. russ

Ray, I'm not a chemist, but perhaps you need to google 'water soluable oils' & see what comes up. I know that "water & oil don't mix", but there are such things as water soluable oils. You may need to contact chemical forums, or even contact the lexol people themselves to see if it is available in the UK. Mostly I've used plain water to case my stuff, but I also use a homemade solution in a sprayer (I got the formula here on LWnet, btw) & I also use procarve & also the ecoflo spray version... whatever happens to be within reach. A lot depends upon whether plain water works best or the sprayer works best. Different leathers work better with different products sometimes. I know a particular Tandy store that uses nothing but plain water in a sprayer & I myself was taught to use only plain water applied with a sponge (but that was 35++ years ago, too- yet that still applies today) Bottom line, find what works best for you... If you can carve well with a particular set of parameters, then that's what you need to use- if not, try to find what does work. russ

Ray: A 'surfactant' is any substance that breaks the tension of water... it's really a detergent, & most (if not all) 'detergents' are NOT soap. If anyone has developed their own pictures, color slides, b&w film & printed their own pics, they've used Kodak Photo-Flo (or eqivalent). It allows the water to run off the film in sheets, rather than run off in (film spotting) beads, because it breaks the water's surface tension. Just a few drops of Photo-Flo will work. I used to develop my own stuff & I occasionally will use a few drops of what I have left in making up my homemade casing solution. B] I'm sure any water soluable oil that won't stain veg-tan leather would work in place of lexol. C] Wet/wet/wet is for items to be molded. For carving and/or stamping, I'll either spray or wipe with a sponge & when the color returns to normal & still feels cool on my cheek, I'll begin carving or stamping.

Sorry, guys, it was somewhere along this 100 mile yard sale & I don't remember exactly in which town it was.

Saturday I went on a field trip to a " 100 mile yard sale". I came across a Singer 29K(something or other, BS or 73 or S or something...- I didn't take note...). Anyway, it was a treadle & looked to be in working condition & the woman had it priced at $30 & was trying to negotiate a better price with me because I knew it was a patching machine (& nothing else, btw). And, no, I turned her down 'cause I don't need more clutter... Just mentioning it in passing.

Tina: absolutely gorgeous work!!!! russ

Shorts: are you saying 'flat type' or 'flap type'? I've never heard of a 'flat type' cw holster, but the standard cw holster does have a flap that fastens (generally) with a sam browne button closure. Google: civil war holster, 58 caliber Remington, pistol, 1861 new model army pistol... and anything that may relate. But go first to Dixie Gunworks (www.dixiegunworks.com ...- I think): they have pictures of the particular & similar cw model replica items so you can get an idea of what they look like. They may even have pictures of generic holsters for those similar pistols. The holster is itself pretty simple, as you'll see from the pictures.

huh? Don't we try to reinvest in more material with our profits to make our own businesses grow? That's just bizarre thinking to say that "I should be able to make a profit, but that someone else shouldn't..." Sorry, but that's just plain, flat out weird! (Someone's most definitely talking out of an orifice other than his own mouth).

Very Happy Birthday to you! russ

Thank you Johanna: I just received my copy today- haven't watched it yet- I brought my wife home from the hospital just a few hours ago- perhaps I'll get a chance to look at it in a few days, but not now. Thank you again. russ

The surface is composed of hard, calcium-like dots. It doesn't need a particular type of sealer, but I'll often use neatlac.

Jbird: Another good guild is PSLAC (based in Washington State). They have internet memberships for $10/year & that gives access to the member's section, and they also have quite an extensive public archive for free. It's a good, comprehensive site! Check them out. Bob Stelmack, who is a member here, is the president.